Favorite Schools

Favorite Teams

"The point of this legislation is really that people who are sick or need to take care of a loved one who is sick should be able to take a day off without fearing that they'll lose their job or not be able to pay their bills," Council Speaker Christine Quinn said at a press conference before Wednesday's vote.
(Courtesy of William Alatriste)

The City Council overwhelmingly passed a bill to mandate businesses to provide paid sick time to nearly one million New York City workers -- and unpaid sick time to even more.

"The point of this legislation is really that people who are sick or need to take care of a loved one who is sick should be able to take a day off without fearing that they'll lose their job or not be able to pay their bills," Council Speaker Christine Quinn said at a press conference before Wednesday afternoon's vote.

The final vote was 45-3. Staten Island Councilman James Oddo (R-Mid-Island) and Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) voted against the bill, saying it will be bad for business. Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) voted in favor.

The issue has been a hot topic at City Hall for years, as Ms. Quinn refused to bring the matter to the floor for a vote, saying she believed in paid sick time but was concerned about its impact on businesses in a struggling economy.

Wednesday, Ms. Quinn said the Council's compromise bill had struck the right balance, and arrives as the economy is on the rebound. It also includes a measure allowing the legislation to be delayed if the economy worsens. The issue had become a major topic dogging Ms. Quinn in the Democratic mayoral primary.

"The Council's legislation provides this time (off) to the people who need access to it, and also does it in a way that avoids placing unfair administrative burdens on these businesses that could end up raising their administrative costs," she said.

The bill mandates five sick days for workers at businesses with 20 or more workers beginning next year, and at businesses with 15 or more in 2015. Businesses with fewer workers will have to allow unpaid sick days.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said he will veto it -- and Ms. Quinn said that the Council will override his veto.

Also in opposition is the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce.

Tom Scarangello, a member of the chamber and general manager of Scaran Heating and Cooling, Richmond Valley, said his business already offers paid sick time -- but he's no fan of it being legislated.

"We don't want it jammed down our throats, and there are occasions when a company is a certain size that can't afford to do it," Scarangello said. "And some industries can't afford to do it. Some service industries, their margins aren't high enough to pay people when they don't come in."

But outside City Hall, advocates praised the bill. Monica Cruz, a member of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, said when she recently spent four days in the hospital, she wasn't worried because her union job included sick time. But the woman in the bed next to her was crying, she said.

Ms. Cruz asked the woman if she was in pain.

"She said, 'No,' I cry because I called my boss and he fired me,'" Ms. Cruz recalled.

The bill's main sponsor and longtime champion is Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan).

"The argument over paid sick time was always about common sense and fairness," Ms. Brewer said. "I believe this law enshrines the principle that American exceptionalism is not just about large profits and small elites, but a workplace that is safe, fair and respectful of the lives of workers."---Follow @siadvance on Twitter, join us on Facebook